Motor-valve mechanism.



PATENTED JULY 7, 1908.

E. G. HOWARD. MOTOR VALVE MEGHANISM. APPLICATION FILED MAY 15,1902.

37 2 SHBBTS-SHEET 1. J., 6/7 /8 `20 n" 5 I d PATENTBD JLY 7, 1908.

E. G. HOWARD.

MOTOR' VLVE MBGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15,1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEroE.

ERNEST G. HOWARD, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CHAPMAN VALVE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

MOTOR-VALVE MEGHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 7, 1908.

Application led Nay 15, 1902. Serial No. 107,457.

mechanism for opening and closing the lug,

or gate of valves, and more particular y to electric motors and mechanism for transmittin ower therefrom to the lug orgate, in whic the motor is providedp with a hollow armature shaft through which the valve spindle extends, said motor being centrally located relative to the longitudinal center of the valve casing or frame; and the objects of my improvement are, first, to secure compactness and space economy in motordriven valve construction; second, to afford means for locating the motor in a central position in the yoke instead of at one side of the yoke or casing as formerly; third,

to render the transmission of power from a motor so placed, effective in every particular; and, fourth, to provide a motor and mechanism which are applicable to any of the well-known forms of water, steam, or

other valves, having an outside or inside screw. I attain these objects by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of a valve embodyinflr my invention, the motor being partly in elevation; Fig. 2, a plan view of one of the lost motion devices that I prefer to use, the sleeve and valve spindle being in section; and Fig. 3, a side elevation and partial section of said valve.

Although my invention is applicable to valves without the introduction of lost motion devices into the mechanism, by employing such devices a muchsmaller motor can be used, because, more power being required to unlock the screw and start the gate, either to raise or lower the same, than is needed for the performance of the subsequent work of o ening or closing it, it is possible and practical to supply power necessary for all purposes with a small motor, by resorting to the aforesaid lost motion devices. By providing a suitable lost motion device or devices between the motor and gate end of the spindle, the small motor is enabled to gather sufficient momentum to overcome the initial resistance.

Valves are divided into two classes, one in which an outside screw is used and the other in which an inside screw is used. The outside screw construction comprises a spindle threaded at its upper or outer terminal to engage a revolving spindle nut or sleeve, and the inside screw construction comprises a spindle threaded at its lower or inner terminal to engage the gate. In the first instance the spindle travels and carries the gate with it, and in the second instance the spindle has no longitudinal movement, but t e gate moves up or down on the same. This invention relates more particularly to the outside screw construction.

S ur gears are shown and described, but it will be understood that other mediums for transmitting motion may be used, as worm or bevel gears, chain and sprockets, or any other practical mechanical equivalents.

Similar figures refer to vsimilar parts throughout the several views. The valve casing or frame comprises a yoke 10 mounted on a cap 11 which is in turn mounted on a body 12. A plug or gate 13 is seated in the body 12 and may be raised to the top of the ca 11, by means of an outside spindle 14. he spindle 14 is securely attached directly to the gate 13, or it may be attached to a non-rotary block 15 which has a certain amount of vertical movement in a slot 16 in said gate and constitutes one of the means for obtaining lost motion. The block 15 prevents the spindle 14 from turning. The s indle 14 passes through a suitable stuffing-Ibex and follower at the top of the ca 11, and the threaded terminal of said spin le is engaged by a rotary sleeve 17 in the yoke head 18.

An electric motor 19 of any suitable construction, having a hollow armature shaft 20 through which the s indle 14 passes, is fastened between the egs ofthe yoke 10 by some suitable means as the bolts 21. The motor with a hollow armature shaft, constitutes an essential and valuable feature of my invention. A small gear or pinion 22 is fast on the up er end' of the armature shaft 20 and shou (Phe made wholly or in part of some insulating material as raw-hide. Theinsulating pinion 22 and the insulating washers surrounding and adjacent parts. A metallic washer 25 maybe introduced between each bolt head and the adjaeentw'asher 23.

In both the outside and inside screw constructions, intermediateshafts and gears are employed to transmit power froinmotorfto s indle, vand I show a vertical intermediate.

s aft 26' journaledfin an arm 27 projected f orward` from\the yoke head 18, fast on the? lower end o f which is a gear 28 meshing with the pinion 22. Above the gear 28 is asmall gear or pinion'29 fastv on theshaft 26 and meshing with a gear 30 loose on'the sleeve (17., A hand-wheel 31 isl mounted on they to of the shaft 26 for operating the vgate mec anism when the motor isy not in use. This hand-wheel may be large enough to serve also, as a balance wheel for the motor and is very useful insuch a capacity, especiallywith large valves. l r

The gear 30 is held loosely to the sleeve 17 by andbetween a flange 32 above and a nut 33l below said gear, said nut beingv screwed onto the lower threadedend of said sleeve while said flange is preferabl integral therewith. Thus the gear 30 no vertical movement independent ofthe sleeve 17.. vA lost motion device is introduced at this point, consisting of a clutch projection 34 rising from, the top of thegear 30, and a clutch projection 35 extending from the periphery of the flange 32 into the path of travel of said projection 34. The operation of this lost motion device will be hereinafter explained.

The sleeve 17 is loosely held in the yoke head 18 by and between the sleeve flange 32 below and a nut 36 above said yoke head, the nut` 36 being held in place by a sec'ond nut 37 both of which are received'onto the upper threaded terminal of said sleeve. The flange 32 and nut 36 do not embrace the yoke head 18, but lare separated sufficiently to ermit the sleeve 17 to move up and down and thus afford means for still another lost motion presently to be explained. The sleeve 17 carries the gear 30 with it in its verticalr movement, and the pinion 29 should be wide enough, in this case, to permit of such movement on the art of said gear and still be in mesh therewith at all times.

Assuming that theparts stand as shown in the drawings, the operation is as follows The electric current is turned on to start the motor shaft 20 and rotate it to the left and saidshaft revolves freely outside of the spindle 14 and transmits rotary motion in the same direction to the gear 30 through the medium ofthe `pinion 22 and the intermediate shaft and gears hereinbefore fully described. The gear 30 makes one half of a revolution before its .clutch projection 34 contacts with the sleeve clutch projection 35 which before was locke with its llan e 32 jammedfagainst the bottom ead 1.8, has nowbeen unlocked 'L70 w when the sleeve117 is rotatedandthef-frst lost motion is taken 1i The sleeve 17 to the spindle 14 'of the yoke and runs down s aild spindle untilv the nut 36 overcome the frictional resistance offered by the looked sleeve. At the instant the nut 36 strikes the yoke head the ,sleeve 1-7 begins to act on the s indle 14 to raise the same, and

the second ost motion'has been taken up.

ThesPndle 14 travels upward without affectmg the gate 13, until the block 15 rises from the bottom tothe top yof 'the1 slot 16 l when said gate is forced out of the wedged position which it assumes when closed, and egms to rise with the block and spindle, the motor havin gathered momentum enough by the time tie third lost motion is taken up to do this worksuccessfull The third lost motion be ins' when the b ook 15 leaves the bottomf o the slot 16 and ends v,when it reachesv the top of said slot. The spindle and gate now continue on their upward course until the latter encounters the to of the cap 11- vwhen all motion ceases. i'he valveisnow open. A

To close the valve, reverse the motor to revolve the shaft 20 to the right, and with it thegear 30 Which takes up the first lost motion and unlocks the sleeve 17 from the spindle, next said sleeve travels up on said spindle until the second lost motion is taken up by contact between the flange 32 and the yoke head, then said sleeve depresses the spindle until the third-lost motion is taken upl by means of the block 15 in the slot 16, w

en the gate is lowered-into its closed position and further movement ceases.

When the gate is opened and closed the i s indle 14 vtravels u and down freely through the armature s aft 20.

It will be readily understood that one or more of the lost motion devices may be omitted from either construction, but if all of them are omitted in any instance, a much larger motor is required in order that the initial resistance maybe overcome, than is necessary when such a device or devices are lemplo ed. If the clutch projections are dispense with, the gear 30 must be fast, instead of loose, on the sleeve 17, and this is the case in the event that all of the lost motion devices areV omitted. By a construction which brings both the flange 32 and the nut 36 into conti `uity with the yoke head at the same time, t ev second lost motion is done away with, 'whether' the others are used or not. And by attaching the spindle 14 directly toits gate, the remaining lost motion is eliminated. From the foregoing it will be seen that the lost motion devices may be wheel for the mechanism.

combined in various ways. It is obvious too, that certain constructive modifications can be made in these devices, such as will occur to one skilled in the art.

The hand wheel 31 is used to open or close the gate when for any reason, it is not possibleor desirable to employ the motor, and may also serve in the capacity of a balance It may be turned until the lost motions are taken up,.when it operates in the usual manner.

As shown in the several figures, slot 16 which receives the block 15 or 15a is formed in the upper side of the gate and the o enings into the slot are throughthe perip ery of thefgate. When the gate is seated, as shown 1n the several figures, its two faces completely shut off communication between the pipe or conduit on either side of said gate and the interior of the shell or valve casin hence, the block 15 or 15"L is protecte by its location in the slot 16 from the pressure of the fluid controlled by the valve, when the gate is seated.

I do not seek to claim broadly the lost motion devices herein set forth, having done so in' a previous application, Serial Number 100,699, filed March 31st, 1902, but

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination in a motor valve mechanism, of a valve body, an electric motor having a hollow armature shaft, a threaded non-rotary, reciprocating valve s indle extending through and free from such s aft, a rotary sleeve in threaded engagement with the spindle, gearing for transmitting motion from said shaft to said sleeve, a gate arranged in the valve body and having a lostmotion connection with the spindle, and a wheel mounted in o erative engagement with said gearing, suci wheel serving as a balance wheel when the motor finishes the power and as a hand wheel when the power is applied by hand.

2. The combination in a valve motor mechanism, of a motor having a rotating hollow shaft, a non rotating, reci rocating valve spindle threaded at one en portion and extending through and free from such shaft, means for im arting longitudinal motion to said spindle rom said hollow rotating shaft, a slotted gate, a block fixed to said spindle and seated within the slot in said gate, said block being of less thickness than the height of the'slot in which it is located, and means for preventing rotation of the block, said block being protected by its location within the slot from the pressure of the fluid controlled by the valve, when said valve is seated.

3. The combination with a hollow armature shaft of a motor, of a non-rotary valve spindle extending through and free from such-shaft and threaded at one terminal, a longitudinally movable sleeve enga ing such threaded terminal, to move sai spindle longitudinally after the lost motion of the sleeve is taken up, means to limit such movement of the sleeve, means to impart rotary motion to said sleeve from the hollow shaft, and a member mounted to serve as a balance Wheel or a hand wheel for manually operating the sleeve and spindle.

4. The combination, in motor valve mechanism, with a hollow armature shaft of a motor, of a valve spindle extending through such shaft and threaded at one terminal, a longitudinally movable sleeve e aging such threaded terminal, means to imit such movement of the sleeve, a clutch projection on said sleeve, a gear rotatably oose on the sleeve but held -against independent axial movement and provided with a clutch projection adapted to engage the' sleeve clutch projection, and means to transmit power from the hollow shaft to said gear.

5. The combination with a hollow armature shaft of a motor, of a valve spindle extending through such shaft and threaded at one terminal, a longitudinally movable sleeve engaging such threaded terminal, means to limit such movement of the sleeve, a clutch projection on said sleeve, a gear rotatably loose on the sleeve but held against independent axial movement and provided with a clutch projection adapted to engage the sleeve clutch projection, means to transmit power from the hollow shaft to said Gear, a slotted gate, a block fixed to the spind e in the gate slot, said block being of less height than such slot, and means to prevent the block from rotating.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERNEST G. HOWARD. Witnesses:

F. A. CUTTER, STEPHEN S. TArT, Jr.

signed and sealed this 28th day of Jgly, A, D., 1908,.

[SEAL] B. MOORE, 

